


Post-Script

by triumvirate



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, Angst, Canonical Character Death, Harry Potter Dies, Letters, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Pen Pals, Politics, Pureblood Society (Harry Potter), Romance, Slow Burn, War, Wizarding Wars (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-10-27 19:39:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17773013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/triumvirate/pseuds/triumvirate
Summary: As the Dark Rebellion occupies the Ministry of Magic, a political insider and a guerrilla journalist strike up a relationship through a series of compromising letters.





	1. Chapter 1

#### October, 1987

> ##### Dear B.S.,
> 
> I have been following your career with interest ever since your incisive article in the Daily Prophet a few years back — the one which shone a light on the failure of law enforcement to ensure fair and just trials for witches and wizards based on their family name. It was a great shame when it was pulled, the claims redacted and an apology issued by the paper. What was written was the truth, and there are at least a dozen innocents rotting in Azkaban for it while those more deserving of punishment walk free, as I’m sure you well know.
> 
> My intention in writing you is not to go on about old news, however. To be frank, I believe that we may be similarly aligned. By that I mean to say that you are still publishing various critiques of our government. I approve. It is a government in dire need of criticism. 
> 
> As I understand it, good, up-to-date information is hard to find nowadays, with our politicians closing ranks and investigative journalists hamstrung. It just so happens that dirt on the Ministry’s dodgier dealings, fresh from a willing insider, is exactly what’s on offer here. Free of any strings, might I add. No compensation necessary. Yes, that may be hard to believe in today’s world, but I swear it’s the truth. If I get anything out of this, it’ll be either the sweet relief of having something better to read than Skeeter’s tabloids, or the sweet release of death.
> 
> Not that it’s a done deal.
> 
> Should my owl find you — and I have no reason to believe she won’t — she will stay for several hours to await a response. If you accept, then we can begin a working relationship post-haste. In hopes of smoothing things along, have a taste of the sort of things on offer: did you know that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has been ordered to reduce their presence in Diagon Alley this month? Easy enough to corroborate with a bit of legwork on your part (or so I would hope) and only the tip of the iceberg.
> 
> Let it be known that there are friends yet in the Ministry of Magic. 
> 
> ##### Sincerely,  
>  A fan

      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find us on Tumblr at [@pens-swords-stuff](https://pens-swords-stuff.tumblr.com/) and [@decantae](https://decantae.tumblr.com/)!


	2. Chapter 2

#### October, 1987

> ##### Dear ‘Fan’,
> 
> I must admit, this letter caught me by complete surprise; you have however, caught my attention. It’s not often that people manage to find me — much less someone from the Ministry. I’ve assumed there were still pockets of resistance there, but with no information we could only speculate. To my knowledge, no one has reached out until now.
> 
> Although I’m very interested in your proposition, forgive me but I can’t help but be skeptical of your offer. You would leak information to a known rebel without anything in return? Somehow I doubt that death would come easily to you if you’re caught, as traitors are rarely granted mercy these days. However, good information is scarce these days as you’ve pointed out, and we’ve been desperate for more news.
> 
> I’m going to trust you and accept your offer, dear informant. 
> 
> I’ve gotten reports on increased disorder in Diagon Alley though I couldn’t quite discern why. A lack of Magical Law Enforcement would explain it. Thanks for the tip— I’ve got people confirming it, and I’ll see what I can do.
> 
> It’s nice to know that fans might still exist out there. The only mail I get at this point are cease and desist howlers — at least I'm assuming so, because the lack of a proper office really makes it difficult for my passionately hateful fans to reach me. That’s on purpose of course, so I’m curious; How did you manage to get past all the wards?
> 
> ##### Regards,  
>  B.S.

      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find us on Tumblr at [@pens-swords-stuff](https://pens-swords-stuff.tumblr.com/) and [@decantae](https://decantae.tumblr.com/)!


	3. Chapter 3

#### November, 1987

> ##### Dear B.S.,
> 
> First of all, I am well aware of how difficult it is to take a show of good will at face value these days, so let it be known I appreciate your trust. Truly, if our positions were reversed I am not so sure that I would do the same.
> 
> Taking that as enthusiastic consent, I’ll start writing up what I know immediately. However, before I begin, I have a few questions of my own. Nothing compromising, of course; just dotting i’s and crossing t’s. 
> 
> What would help you the most in writing your articles? Presumably, ‘things damaging to the Ministry’s image’ is high on the list of priorities — and there’s no shortage of those lurking just beneath the surface — but some insight into what you’re most interested in at the moment would be helpful to narrow down my search.
> 
> My second ties into your question, which I haven’t answered yet. How did I manage to get past the wards? Rest assured that no Death Eater or sympathiser can replicate it at present. There are a lot of ‘moving parts’, one of which is an old trade secret to allow owls through strong protective enchantments, even blood protections, so long as they carry urgent correspondence from the Ministry of Magic. It may be a cheap trick, but it has certainly come in handy lately, given that everyone and their mother sits behind fifty layers of enchantments. Not that anyone can blame them.
> 
> That is rather vague, I know, but any more detail would give away my identity for sure, and we’re only two letters in! I’m sure that if our working relationship is fruitful, I’ll clue you in; for now, though, a touch of mystery never hurt anyone. 
> 
> Anyway, would you be willing to work Persephone into the wards fully? My process is rather time-consuming and not exactly inconspicuous. Once or twice, it’s fine, but more than that and I’m suddenly spending a suspicious amount of time four floors away from where I should be. The last thing I want is for someone to think I’m sweet on one of the owlery assistants — the gossip would be relentless.
> 
> ##### Sincerely,  
>  A fan (who has yet to pick an acceptable pen-name)

      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find us on Tumblr at [@pens-swords-stuff](https://pens-swords-stuff.tumblr.com/) and [@decantae](https://decantae.tumblr.com/)!


	4. Chapter 4

#### November, 1987

> ##### Dear Anonymous,
> 
> Please come up with an acceptable pen-name post-haste. Otherwise I’m afraid that I’ll have to refer to you as a different celebrity in every single letter, and I don’t have enough chocolate frog cards to find a new one every single time.
> 
> Trust is a heavy word, isn’t it? Is it possible to trust an unknown person after an exchange of letters? Possible, but most likely not — as far as I’m concerned, there’s not much choice to be had in the matter with the state of things right now. I’m not ungrateful enough to turn down desperately needed information served on a silver platter. Some people rightfully might be more suspicious, but I prefer to take the leap. I’m already putting my life on the line in the name of justice, righteousness and all that is good, so what’s a little more risk? If this ends badly, that’ll be that; if this works out though… Things will get better. It’s a gamble, sure but I’m hoping it’ll work out. I’ve always been rather lucky.
> 
> It’s a good thing this is a ‘no-strings attached’ kind of deal, the Order would be willing to pay an arm and a leg for information on the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. (You won’t be going back on your word and start asking for payment, will you? Journalism doesn’t pay well if your name isn’t Rita Skeeter.) We know they’ve been aiding dark wizards rather than apprehending them, but we don’t know to what extent. The Wizengamot have also not favoured the innocent, and many of our members are being imprisoned for baseless accusations, while known criminals aren’t being punished. Any information on what’s going on behind closed doors will be helpful.
> 
> I’m also interested in the Administrative Registration Department, since all of the information about muggleborns and half-bloods are located there. Someone is passing that information to the snatchers, and we want to know who. If we could even get a piece of that into our hands instead, we might be able to protect muggleborn wizards before it’s too late. On a similar note, the general attitude of the Ministry towards the escalating attacks on innocent muggles would be useful for preventative measures.
> 
> It’s also not just muggleborns that are suffering — the animosity towards half-breeds and magical creatures of all kinds have surged. There’s even less information about that out there because they’re often not considered a priority, but I vehemently disagree with that. They’re just as important. Besides, look at what alienating them has done — lots of werewolves are siding with the Death Eaters now because they’ve been offered a place in their ranks, whereas before, they’ve been rejected from Wizarding society.
> 
> Beyond that, I’ll trust your judgment about things that you might consider worth passing along. At this point, I believe that any and all information that can be gleaned is important, not matter how small or insignificant it may seem at the time.
> 
> Additionally, just for my own curiosity and not at all helpful for the war or the cause: I am dying to know what goes on in the Department of Mysteries. While I highly doubt anyone besides the Unspeakables know anything, any rumors would be welcome because nothing keeps me up at night like not knowing something.
> 
> Speaking of which… As much as I appreciate a touch of mystery and as much as I know how necessary it is to maintain anonymity, I am so curious about who you are. Who are you Celestina Warbeck, and what secrets do you hold? I’m a journalist — I can’t help but investigate and wonder about the unknown. (Do you see why a pen-name is necessary? I am about 70% certain that you’re not Celestina Warbeck, but I need a name for your faceless face. ‘Anonymous informant’ or ‘fan’ seems too impersonal, wouldn’t you agree? I feel like you and I are about to spend too much time writing to each other for that.)
> 
> You won’t need to spend too much time in the owlery anymore — some of the Order members were wary, but Persephone is too sweet and clever of an owl to deny. She’ll be able to safely pass through the wards now. If your reason for not wanting gossip is that you happen to actually fancy one of the owlery assistants, you’ll have to find another reason to linger.
> 
> ##### Regards,  
>  B.S.

      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find us on Tumblr at [@pens-swords-stuff](https://pens-swords-stuff.tumblr.com/) and [@decantae](https://decantae.tumblr.com/)!


	5. Chapter 5

#### November, 1987

> ##### Dear B.S.,
> 
> Forgive me for doing away with pleasantries this time, but there is a lot to cover, so I am just going to jump straight into answering your questions.
> 
> The Department of Magical Law Enforcement’s most egregious flaw is obvious to anyone who hasn’t already stuck their head in the sand. That they have been ‘aiding dark wizards rather than apprehending them’ is only scratching the surface of ministerial corruption. Half of the Aurors are card-carrying Death Eaters or near as damn it, and anyone else has had their wings clipped.
> 
> Blame Moody for that one. When he resigned, he stole away all the talent with him –– a genius move if his intention was to cripple the organisation trying their best to keep the peace.
> 
> In spite of the blood supremacists in their ranks, some ‘good’ Aurors remain, trying their best to uphold the law, but with sabotage from You-Know-Who’s supporters, it’s as easy as swimming upstream. I might have pointed the finger at Moody, but that’s unfair of me. He saw the writing on the wall and got his people out. The DMLE is dysfunctional because of Crouch. His strategy on running the department flipped practically overnight, so quickly that they checked him for the Imperius Curse, but nothing came up. Strange that he disowned his son when he was thrown in Azkaban only to happily jump into the pocket of Death Eaters himself. I suppose he must be a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ kind of father.
> 
> But my strong feelings about the DMLE aside, you asked after other areas of the Ministry as well, and there isn’t enough parchment nor time in the day for me to cover that catastrophe at length.
> 
> Moving on to the Wizengamot, then. It’s almost-exclusively pureblood. More than a third of the seats are warmed by fence-sitters, neutral-leaning albeit conservative and resistant to taking a stance on one issue or another. There are also the hateful cliques of the court that have been in existence since the 17th century –– the Malfoys, Rowles and Notts of the world ––and Albus Dumbledore’s old support base, made up of Ogden, Marchbanks, and the like. As far as I am aware, it has yet to be overrun by the same sort that have taken over the DMLE, but it is still too easy for a persuasive speaker to sentence an innocent man to Azkaban or to get a mass-murderer’s crimes forgiven.
> 
> I have a friend in the ARD, who I will ask what’s what at the next opportunity, but I do know that they’ve started a taskforce to ‘document lineages’. In other words, sniffing out the half-bloods with a pureblood parent. I imagine their argument is that it’s not to persecute the child so much as it is to better protect the Statute of Secrecy (really, to name and shame the witch or wizard who deigned to marry down) but two guesses as to whose desk their findings end up on.
> 
> Does You-Know-Who even have a desk?
> 
> When it comes to the creature side of things, I’m out of the loop. Existing legislation isn’t exactly kind to them. Dolores Umbridge is back in business, so I imagine provisions on ‘integrated’ creatures like the Veela and the goblins will be implemented soon enough, eroding what few freedoms they’ve won over the years. If she brings them before the Wizengamot, I can’t imagine the moderates will shy away from passing them. Werewolves are very much boogeymen in our world, a common form for Boggarts to take, and any restrictions placed on them can be easily extended to cover the others.
> 
> And on the Muggles, well, I’m not going to mince words: the general attitude is that if someone went and culled the lot of them, it would be business as usual for the Ministry of Magic. Whatever cooperation existed between the Minister for Magic and Prime Minister has disintegrated. Selwyn is pushing for complete separation between our worlds. Separation meaning that the Death Eaters can kill them indiscriminately while their papers blame it on freak gas pipe explosions, of course.
> 
> As for your final request, I’ve put out feelers for information about the Department of Mysteries, but the place gives me the creeps, and so does everyone who works there. All I know is that they recruit directly out of Ravenclaw and Slytherin, valuing ambition as well as academics, and one of the requirements of entry, right up until the 1940s, was to be pure of blood. In fact, I only know of a single half-blood working there, Saul Croaker, and he’s both notoriously tight-lipped about his projects and a bit of an outcast among his peers.
> 
> That’s all I have so far. I can prioritise finding out whatever’s going on over in the ARD, as anything is a welcome break from the monotony of pushing papers. Just yesterday, I spent a whole morning brainstorming an acceptable nom de guerre instead of what I was supposed to be doing, and no, it’s not Celestina Warbeck.
> 
> Speaking of, what do you think of it?
> 
> ##### Sincerely,  
>  Bishop

      


End file.
